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auto theft investigator of the year

As stated by former San Francisco Police Inspector Dave Roccaforte, now a NICB Special Agent:

Al was a long time Auto Theft Investigator with the San Francisco Police Department, a member of WSATI (he may even have been around at the very beginning) and IAATI.

He was the inspector (detective) who reviewed and presented my very first vehicle theft arrest back in 1971. We hit it off then and he taught me all of the basics and most of the advanced stuff (probably because I kept bugging him to learn more and more). He was one of the old school investigators, not afraid to get in there and get his hands dirty to do an identification or to work a case. At the same time, he was very unassuming and quiet in his ways, but a deadly foe to the bad guys.

Al passed away back in 1988. He took the train to work every morning. One morning, he had a severe stroke while on the train and never came out of the coma.

To this day, when I am successful in a case involving a VIN-switch or difficult identification, I think of him and am glad for all that he taught me. I considered it an overwhelming honor when WSATI presented me with the 1991 Al Weatherman Award.